State launches ‘Totally Unprepared’ campaign for emergencies

The California Emergency Management Agency is hoping to shake up the message about preparing for a disaster with a campaign that puts the spotlight on an unprepared star former football player.

Cal EMA, along with the California Seismic Safety Commission and California Earthquake Authority to launch "Totally Unprepared" — a multimedia campaign geared to help Californians better understand their risk of earthquakes and how to prepare for them by giving a view of just how unprepared the average Californian can be. The television and web series is interviewing Californians and quizzes them on how they and their homes are prepared for an earthquake.

The campaign is also using former NFL player Vencie Glenn to highlight the need for preparation. The first video released with Glenn was about the simple steps Californians can take to increase their safety and minimize damage in an earthquake. Glenn, whose San Diego home suffered damage in a recent earthquake, is show how to safely secure his home and safeguard his property from damages.

A recent video posed the question to Glenn about what he would take with him following an earthquake. The video provides tips of how to put together a “go bag” that can be grabbed at a moment’s notice.

With a bevy of online resources and new videos set to be released each Tuesday through March of 2012, the campaign hopes to leverage the power of social media in getting the word out. A special 30-minute program is also being aired on twelve California Public Television Stations throughout the month of September.

"Even in a state so vulnerable to disasters we have found that less than half of all Californians have taken steps to get prepared," said Mike Dayton, acting secretary of Cal EMA. "This campaign empowers the public to easily share the important message of preparedness with their friends and family with the click of a button."

In addition to weekly videos, the Totally Unprepared campaign will incorporate the use of other social media sharing, blogging, and an accompanying website dedicated to spreading the message of preparedness.

"I think most Californians are generally aware of the risks, yet most are not taking the necessary actions to prepare today so we can survive and recover following the next damaging earthquake," said Glenn Pomeroy, Chief Executive Officer of the California Earthquake Authority. "This campaign presents valuable information in a creative, new way that demonstrates simple steps people can take now that will help them get back to normal after the next big quake strikes."

According to Richard McCarthy, Executive Director of the California Seismic Safety Commission, "Earthquake risk is part of being a Californian. We're all in this together so we must look out for each other and share information that will keep us safe when the next quake hits."

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